SOURCE FAQ

We do our best to record sessions when able and will upload them to our webpage here. We will also post pdfs of informative materials presented and distributed during the events for students unable to attend. 

We encourage all students to participate in SOURCE! We do have a pre-recorded presentation option for anyone unable to participate in-person. If you are interested in this option, indicate this on your Project Registration form, which opens in March. Need help putting together your pre-recorded presentation? Check out our Pre-Recorded Presentation Tips! 

Unfortunately, due to how the registration is set up for our needs, students can not edit their submissions on their own. If you have already submitted your registration form for SOURCE and notice a mistake, please DO NOT SUBMIT A DUPLICATE REGISTRATION, forward your submission confirmation email to source@cwu.edu immediately with the issue(s) you would like corrected. If you are editing your project title or abstract, make sure to copy your mentor to this email so they can confirm their approval of these changes.

The SOURCE Team will not be able to accommodate requests past 5pm, April 21, 2026.

Yes! Many of the form questions require specific formatting and/or have additional explanations to guide your response. Please read each question carefully before responding because you cannot edit your information once you submit this registration form. Please check out our resource page on Preparing your Project Registration for some in-depth information, but don’t hesitate to reach out to source@cwu.edu if you still have questions on anything in the registration form! 

First, congratulations on your project! We’re excited to see all your hard work come together in May! 

Once you submit your registration form with all the appropriate materials you will receive an email confirming that the SOURCE team has received your registration. Your Form ID number, which will be used for scheduling and various registration purposes, will be provided in this email. Please save/remember this number and include it in any communication with source@cwu.edu about your project. Your abstract as submitted will also be attached to this email. If you notice a mistake or want to make a revision to any aspect of your submission, please see the guidelines outlined in your confirmation email, the question “Can I revise my abstract/ project registration/ presentation format?” above. 

Your faculty mentor needs to also approve your project registration before you are officially registered to present at SOURCE. They will receive a similar confirmation email, requesting their approval of your project. Once they approve your project, you will receive another confirmation email. 

Your next steps will be preparing your presentation and practicing presenting. Work with your mentor and check out our resources on preparing your In-Person Presentation or Pre-Recorded Presentation.

We understand that things happen and you might unfortunately need to pull out of SOURCE. We’re sorry to hear and hope to see you next year! However, if you unexpectedly need to withdraw from presenting at SOURCE, please contact source@cwu.edu as soon as you can to let us know. Please include your name, SOURCE Form ID, and the title of the project you are withdrawing so we can make any necessary adjustments. 

Short answer: Yes! 

Receiving an OUR Funding Award does NOT automatically sign you up for SOURCE so you will need to submit a Project Registration to present at SOURCE this year. Recipients are HIGHLY encourage you to participate and present all your hard work for the community! 

SOURCE is for more than just our student researchers, it is also for the CWU community! 

• Volunteering at the event helps us ensure that the day runs smoothly and that all our students have the support they need! Find more information about volunteering here!

• Be a judge for student oral, poster, or recorded presentations. We always need judges and are so grateful to anyone willing to be involved in SOURCE in this way, we could not do it without you! Find more information about judging and sign up here!

• Attend SOURCE!! As any student or member of the community, you are welcomed and encouraged to attend SOURCE and see what students have been working so tirelessly on! Find more information about attending SOURCE here! 

When filling out your SOURCE Project Registration form, we ask you for your project's college and department. This information will help us group your project for scheduling purposes, so it is important that you select this information based on you and the content of your project.

• The Health Sciences department is part of the College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) NOT College of the Sciences (COTS)!
• If you are part of the Douglas Honors College (DHC), please choose this as your college when registering. You will then enter the department that best represents your project so that we can organize your project for scheduling.
• You can check which college your major belongs to here! 

You can find all of the departments and programs listed under their appropriate academic college.

Engaging in research, scholarship, or creative activities allows you to pursue your interests, learn something new, hone your problem-solving skills, and challenge yourself in new ways. Working with a faculty mentor gives you the opportunity to work closely with someone experienced in your field.  

Best of all, you leave CWU with a product that represents your interests and studies, and possibly, a real contribution to knowledge. 

Every field of study has its own methods of asking questions and finding answers to those questions. As a student engaged in research, scholarship, or creative activities, you seek answers to questions of interest to you. 

Research, scholarship, and creative experience all vary greatly. You might work alone, or in a large team. You could conduct your work in a library, a museum, a laboratory, and concert hall, an art gallery, or a community.

Most research, scholarship, and creative projects take several quarters to develop and complete. 

Take a class in a topic area that interests you. Talk to faculty both inside and outside the classroom. Asking faculty questions about their own scholarship is a great way to start a conversation. 

Attend the Why to SOURCE and How to SOURCE events to learn more about research funding and publishing, how to conduct, prepare and present your research, how to find a mentor, and many other research-related topics.  

Attend the annual SOURCE (Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression) in May to find out what types of projects other students are conducting. 

Your faculty mentor will help guide in as you develop a project. 

Consider applying for OUR funding for supplies, equipment, or travel that you need to complete your work. 

Plan to present your work at professional meetings, conference, or venues and apply for OUR funding. Check presentation abstracts from previous SOURCE events! 

Present your project at SOURCE in May!

Stay tuned for more information on how we can help our students publish their work.

• ScholarWorks
• IJURCA
• Journal of the Symposium of University Research & Creative Expression (SOURCE)